Donor terms and privacy wording for New Zealand not-for-profits

Problems often appear when a donor expects one thing and the organisation's process says another, or when personal information is collected through forms, events or online campaigns without clear wording. Common pressure points include whether donations are refundable, how restricted donations are described, whether donors may be publicly acknowledged, and what happens to contact details after a campaign ends. Clear donor terms and a privacy statement help set expectations, but the legal position still depends on how your organisation handles information in practice, not just what the document says.

Donor terms commonly deal with how donations are accepted, whether a donation is for a general purpose or a specific appeal, when refunds may be considered, and how acknowledgements or receipts are handled. The privacy statement usually explains what personal information you collect from donors, why you collect it, where it may be stored, who it may be shared with, and how people can request access or correction. The exact wording depends on your channels, such as website donations, events, recurring giving or manual bank transfer processes.

The drafting depends on your real fundraising practices. That includes whether you accept one-off or recurring donations, whether you run named appeals, whether donations come through a website or third-party platform, how you acknowledge donors, and whether you contact supporters again for future campaigns. We also look at what information you collect, uses of mailing lists, any overseas service providers involved in storing data, and whether volunteers or staff handle donor records. Those practical details shape the wording far more than a generic template can.

A precedent can be a starting reference, but tailored drafting is usually safer where the document affects customers, staff, suppliers or regulators. However, it often leaves gaps where your organisation has specific fundraising methods or data flows. For example, a generic form may not deal properly with campaign-specific appeals, recurring donations, public donor recognition, or the way supporter details move between your website, email tools and internal records. Tailored drafting is useful where the right advice Privacy wording works best when it is matched to your real collection, use, storage and disclosure practices.. That is especially important for not-for-profits with multiple donation channels or changing campaigns.

Timing depends on how quickly you can provide the practical details about your fundraising setup and donor communications. Once we have that information, we draft the donor terms and privacy statement and work through any required updates. If your organisation has several donation pathways, such as website giving, event fundraising and manual donations, the wording may need more iteration so the documents stay consistent. After completion, you can publish the documents in the places donors will actually see them, such as donation pages, forms or campaign microsites.

Submit an enquiry on this page or click 'Get started'. One of our legal consultants will review it within 1 business day and get in touch to understand what you need.

Your consultant will then email you a fixed-fee quote setting out the cost, scope and timing. If you're happy with it, you can accept the quote and sign our engagement letter online.

Once you've accepted, one of our Australian-qualified lawyers will work with you to complete your project. They'll contact you by email or phone if they need anything.

Sprintlaw works on fixed-fee pricing wherever possible, so you can review the scope and cost before you decide whether to proceed. For the Donor Terms And Privacy Pack service, pricing starts from $900.00.

After you enquire, a legal consultant will confirm what is included, the expected timing and whether any extra work is needed before you engage us.

We work online, so we can help wherever you are in New Zealand. Our team works remotely, mainly from Australia.

Your work is done by our Australian-qualified lawyers, who hold Australian practising certificates and specialise in business law. None of them are New Zealand lawyers or hold a New Zealand practising certificate.

Sprintlaw NZ Limited is a legal consultancy, not a law firm, and is not regulated by the New Zealand Law Society. We don't act in court or tribunal matters, conveyancing (including leases and business sales) or other reserved areas of work. Communications with Sprintlaw are unlikely to be protected by legal professional privilege. We still keep everything confidential under our engagement letter.